There is an ongoing interest in regulating growth hormone (“GH”) because of its link to age-associated diseases. More specifically, GH is known to play a significant role in growth of all tissues, cell repair and regeneration, brain and organ function, sexual function, bone strength, energy, and metabolism. As individuals age, GH decreases and, as such, tissue repair and regeneration activity decreases. Amongst other age-associated diseases, a decrease in GH has been associated with a decrease in bone density and an increase in intra-abdominal fat.
Pharmaceutical GH therapy is being offered but is not appropriate for healthy people. The nutritional supplements currently being offered contain various secretagogue amino acids for increasing GH levels. Although secretagogue amino acids are known to assist in stimulating hormones that promote GH secretion, they are believed to not successfully block inhibitors of GH secretion. Accordingly, there remains a need for compositions and methods that have improved efficacy in increasing GH levels in mammals.
In this regard, it has now been found that acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, namely huperzine A, in combination with secretatgogue amino acids are useful in treating age-associated diseases by increasing GH levels to young adult levels. Accordingly, compositions containing effective amounts of huperzine A and secretagogue amino acids and methods thereof are desired.